The present invention relates to an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display device, and more particularly, to an OLED display device capable of preventing the generation of an afterimage of a screen displayed thereon and minimizing a reduction in a lifespan of an OLED, and an operating method thereof.
Recently, as the use of various smart devices and high-resolution large screens as well as televisions has increased, the types of display devices have been diversified. In particular, a variety of flat panel displays (FPDs) have been developed which can further reduce the weight and volume than a so-called cathode ray tube (CRT). Specifically, flat panel displays, such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs), thin film transistor-liquid crystal displays (TFT-LCDs), plasma display panels (PDPs), and electroluminescence devices have attracted attention.
The electroluminescence devices may be classified into an inorganic light emitting diode and an organic light emitting diode (OLED) according to a material of an emitting layer. The OLED is a self-luminous organic material that emits light by itself by using an electroluminescence phenomenon that light is emitted when a current flows through a fluorescent organic compound. The OLED can be driven at a low voltage and can be made light and thin. Additionally, since each device is a luminous type that emits light, light is adjusted by changing a current flowing through each device. Thus, a backlight is not required. An OLED display device implemented with such OLEDs has advantages such as a fast response time, high video quality, high luminescent efficiency, an ultra-thin structure, and a wide viewing angle.
Due to the above advantages, the prospect of the OLED display device is bright, and the demand for the OLED display device is increasing.
As each of elements of the OLED display device emits light, the frequency of use may vary according to the elements. As a result, a lifespan may vary according to the elements. For example, a logo included in broadcast content, an item of a menu screen, or the like may be continuously displayed in a state of being fixed at a specific position on a screen. Luminance of the logo or the item may be relatively high in terms of visibility. In this case, since an element in a region in which the logo or the item is displayed continuously emits high luminance light, a lifespan of the element may be rapidly reduced, compared to that of elements in other regions. When the lifespan of the element in the region is rapidly reduced, brightness of light emitted by the element may be reduced. Therefore, an afterimage may be generated on a specific screen due to a difference between brightness of an element in one region and brightness of elements in other regions, and thus, a user may be uncomfortable when viewing content through the OLED display device.